A Day of Loss, A Day of New Beginnings
by PhantomBrat
Summary: Someone has left, but what happened?  And why is Yami and the gang depressed?  Will things ever look up for them?  Read and find out.
1. Prologue

It was a miserable day for Yami and his friends. Not only was it raining, but they were saying goodbye to the one person that would have made such a dreary day brighter. They knew that they would not see their friend for a long time to come. They would have to live their lives until then.

* * *

><p><strong>Yami: What kind of opening is that?<strong>

**A suspenseful one?**

**Yami: All your other introductions were longer than this.**

**Yugi: So what happened?**

**I can't say.**

**Yami: Why?**

**Because I can't say, now go and do something else for a while while I work on catching that annoying meepit that stole that annoying blot punny!**

**Yugi: She means plot bunny.**

**Thank you Yugi.**

**Yugi: Until next time…**


	2. Chapter 1

**Sorry if the opening seemed similar to 'Broken'. I didn't mean for that to happen.**

**Yugi: So where was everybody?**

**They were at a funeral.**

**Yugi: So who passed?**

**Um...**

**Yami: Tell us now!**

**I can't do that! It'll ruin the chapter!**

**Yugi: Thank you for being our first reviewer for this AU fic, Luiz4200!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>Two weeks before…<em>

_Yugi and his friends were hanging out at the mall and waiting for the bus to stop. "That was a great movie," Yugi stated. "I was really looking forward to seeing it in the theater."_

_They had just watched the latest movie and were enjoying each other's company. As they got on the bus, Tea noticed that Yugi looked a little pale. "Are you feeling alright Yugi," she asked her friend._

_Yugi looked up at her, "I'm just tired. I felt a little warm in the theater, but it was only for a second. I'll be alright."_

_When they got to their stop, Yugi had fallen asleep on his brother's shoulder. Yami nudged him, "We're just a couple of blocks away from home, Yugi. It's time to wake up."_

_Yugi opened his eyes and woke up enough to follow his brother and friends off the bus. A block away from the game shop, Yugi collapsed. Yami ran back and tried to wake the small teen, but had no luck. Tea called 911 while Joey and Tristan ran to the game shop to get Solomon._

_By the time help arrived, it was too late. Their friend was beyond help. Solomon watched as the paramedics placed a sheet over his grandson._

Present...

Yami was at Yugi's headstone the day after the caretakers set it up. He knew that Yugi wasn't buried there. He stared at the carved marble stone bearing Yugi's name.

**Yugi Mutou**

**June 4, 1988-June 1, 2006**

**May your love for games live on...**

Solomon had the stone placed there for everyone to visit. Yami thought that it was pointless. After Yugi died, he felt tat everything was pointless. He locked himself in Yugi's room and refused to leave it until Solomon promised to leave it they way Yugi had left it.

Yami turned and left the cemetery, feeling lost and depressed.

* * *

><p><strong>Yami: You killed Yugi!<strong>

**I can't help it!**

**Yugi: I'm not dead Yami.**


	3. Chapter 2

Five years later…

Solomon had Yugi cremated and kept his ashes with a picture of him in his high school uniform. Yami couldn't stand looking at his former hikari's image and avoided looking at it every time he passed its place.

"I'm going out grandpa," Yami called through the house. "I'll be back in an hour. Call me if you need me."

Solomon called back, "Where are you going?"

"Just to the park," Yami replied. "I'm leaving the car here and walking."

Yami had taken this habit up as a way to clear his mind. Whenever things got too stressful for him, he would leave the shop and go for a walk to the park to clear his thoughts. This day wasn't any different.

* * *

><p>A small five-year-old was running from some of the kids that liked to bully him. He had been in the system since the day he was born. Philip and Wren said that his parents took one look at him and decided that they didn't want a little freak for a kid. The child was terrified of these two nine-year-old boys and tried to avoid them after they had pushed him off the porch one day. The little boy ended up with a small scar above his right eye.<p>

He ran into the park blindly and right into a bush. Fate was being very cruel to this little boy because the bush he ran into was full of thorns. The thorns tore at the boy's worn t-shirt and delicate skin. The more he struggled, the more the thorns ripped into him.

Philip and Wren caught up to the boy. Wren pulled the poor kid from the bushes and shoved him over to Philip. "You can't keep running forever, runt," Philip hissed.

"Please don't hurt me," the boy pleaded.

Wren glanced over at the pond, "Hey Phil, why don't we teach the shrimp to swim?"

Philip grinned, "Why that's a great idea, Wren."

"But the water's cold and dirty and I can't swim," the little boy cried out.

The two older boys ignored the smaller's pleas for them to let him go. They walked to the end of the pier and pushed the boy in.

* * *

><p>Yami heard a splash and wondered what kind of lunatic would swim in the pond in the middle of the park. That water was filthy and in need of some serious cleaning. He saw two kids leaving the pier and heard splashing. "Don't forget that if you're late for dinner, you don't eat pipsqueak," the red-headed boy called back as they left.<p>

The splashing stopped and Yami felt that that wasn't a good sign. He ran over to the pier and saw a small child facedown in the water. He grabbed at a torn sleeve and pulled the boy closer to him. He lifted the soaked child out of the water and started CPR on him. The boy started coughing as the water left his small lungs.

Yami picked the little boy up and headed to his home to try and get him warmed up. He had every intention of finding out where the five-year-old lived after he was warm and awake.

Solomon saw the small bundle in Yami's arms, "What happened?"

"Two kids were bullying this little one and, from what I can tell, pushed him in the pond at the park. The poor thing can't swim," Yami replied. "I wanted to get him warmed up and ask where he lives when he wakes."

Solomon found some clothes in the attic that Yugi had worn when he was about that age while Yami removed the soaked clothes and wrapped him in several towels. Solomon decided to wait until the boy was awake before bathing and dressing him. While the he was sleeping, Yami decided to clean some of the mud that was smeared on the boy's face off. Pale skin greeted him as he removed the grime. It appeared as if the kid hadn't been in the sun much. Yami continued to remove the mud from the boy as he slept.

* * *

><p>The little boy awoke to a cloth touching the worst of his scratches from the thorny bush. He whimpered and pulled his hand away from the object. He heard a chuckle. "I'm not going to hurt you little one," a strong voice pointed out.<p>

The boy chanced a glance at the owner of the voice and he heard a sharp intake of breathe. "What is your name, little one," the voice asked him.

The boy hesitated, "Everyone calls me runt or shrimp. I don't have a name. My mama and papa never gave me one before they left me."

* * *

><p>'<em>What kind of person doesn't give a child a name,'<em> Yami thought to himself. He looked at the boy, "How about we get you cleaned up better?"

The little boy looked confused but nodded, "Bubbles?"

"If I can find some, sure," Yami replied.

He picked the small boy up and carried him to the bathroom and was surprised to see that Solomon had already started a bath. "I thought that the little one would like a warm bath," he said as Yami entered the room. "I found some of…some old bath toys in the attic and cleaned them up."

Yami set the boy in the bath. The first thing the boy did was reach for a little tugboat and a rubber duck. He looked at these in awe as if he'd never had toys before. He placed the duck on the boat and explored through the bubbles. He found another toy and pulled it out. Yami wasn't prepared for the sudden yelp. "It's scary," the small child cried holding a toy shark by its tail.

Yami took the toy and showed the little boy that it wasn't going to hurt him. After a few more minutes the boy grew bored of his borrowed toys and Yami decided to wash his hair. He found that he was finally grateful that he had bought some tearless shampoo by accident the last time he went shopping and had forgotten to return it.

As the grime and debris was washed out, Yami caught a small flash of blonde hair. "That tickles," the little boy laughed as Yami gently scrubbed his hair.

After he was sure the boy was cleaned, he pulled the plug on the drain and wrapped a towel around the boy and lifted him from the tub. Solomon returned as Yami was drying the boy off, "I called the police and let them know about the boy. They said to keep him here until they find out where he came from. The officer that I talked to said that if he's from one of the Homes around here that they're going to have to remove him from that place."

The towel that Yami was using to dry the boy's hair slid off when Yami stopped drying him. When he picked the towel up, he noticed Solomon staring at the boy. He looked at the now clean child and was shocked. The boy looked like a younger version of Yugi! Even the eyes were the same color.

Solomon helped Yami with the little boy and got him dressed in the clothes that he found earlier. Yami picked him up in his arms and carried him to the living room. He heard a faint grumble and looked at the boy. "My tummy's hungry," the boy laughed. That laughter was short-lived. The boy looked at the window and saw that it was dark outside, "I don't get any dinner after dark-time."

Yami noticed the sadness in the boy's voice, "I think that all little boys should eat when they're hungry. I believe that Grandpa has something you might like."

"Fruit loops," the boy asked, his eyes growing wider than they already were. "And chocolate milk?"

"Sure," Yami replied.

He found the cereal and started pouring the milk into the bowl. "Not that way," the little boy pouted, "Chocolate milk in the cereal."

This little boy wanted something that Yami hadn't had in the five years after Yugi had left them. He nodded and made the chocolate milk before pouring it into the cereal. Yami watched as the small child before him started eating the cereal.

* * *

><p><strong>Yami: What kind of person eats cereal with chocolate milk?<strong>

**The ones that are little kids or sugar-addicts.**

**Yami: Who would be a sugar-addict?**

**The easiest way to find out would be to give a person a bag full of candy to hold. If they're addicted to sugar, you just lost a bag of candy.**

**Yami: Are you one?**

**Care to test me?**

**Yami: *Gives me a bag of candy to hold***

***Runs off laughing like crazy* THANK YOU!**

**Yugi: There's your answer Yami. She's a sugar addict!**

**Yami: x.x  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 3

The next morning, Yami woke up to see the nameless boy sleeping peacefully in Yugi's old bed. He felt bad that the little one had no name to call his own. Solomon stopped by the room, "Tea called. She was wondering if you were up. I told her that you had a late night and that I'd have you call back when you were up."

"Grandpa, did the police call yet," Yami asked still half-asleep.

Solomon shook his head, "Not yet. I called them and they haven't found the place where he came from. They suggested that you look as well."

"I'll call Seto and see if he'd help," Yami yawned. "If the little one is from one of the Homes, I don't think that I could handle seeing him go back to that place. Maybe he'd 'loan' me one of his lawyers for a bit."

"So what are you going to do Yami," Solomon asked.

Yami looked over at the sleeping form, "Adopt him, most likely. And give him a name of his own."

* * *

><p>Seto wasn't in a good mood when Yami called, but he caved when Yami told him that he found a little boy without a name and suspected that he came from one of the Homes in the area. He said that he was sending a lawyer over that had experience in the area of Foster Homes and Orphanages. This lawyer worked with him before when the Family Welfare Department tried to remove Mokuba after their step-father's death.<p>

After the lawyer arrived, she had Yami place the little boy in the car seat and told him to let her know what the house looked like. "It's broken," the boy started. "Dead grass and a swing with no seat in the tree."

"That sounds like the old Morrison place. The city's been after the family for years to clean that place up. I can't believe that they've allowed them to keep their license for so long," the lawyer huffed.

As they pulled in the drive, the little boy paled, "I'm scared."

"Why don't you stay in the car and play with the toys that Yami brought for you," she suggested to the boy. He nodded and picked up the Kuriboh plushy.

With the little one busy, Yami got out of the car with the lawyer and knocked on the door. Marlow Morrison answered the door, "What do you want?"

"I'm Liana Sandersan," Seto's lawyer stated. "We're here to find out whether a certain child is here. My client wants to adopt a little boy, about five years old. Are there any five-year-olds here?"

Marlow's eyes narrowed, "Hang on a minute." He looked behind him, "Philip, Wren, have you two seen the runt?"

"Not since yesterday, Pop," two voices echoed. "He wanted to go swimming and didn't listen to us, so we left him."

Liana scowled at the response, "Tell me sir, did the boy look like the one in this picture?"

He looked at the Polaroid picture and growled, "That's the little shrimp alright."

"Doesn't he have a name," Yami demanded. "You should be calling him by a proper name."

"Listen, I don't _give_ orphans and forgotten brats names here. If their parents give them a name then that's what I call them. But that small fry's parents never gave him one, so I call him what I feel like. If you want the nameless brat, he's yours. He's worthless anyways."

Liana glared at the man before regaining her composure, "Alright, before we take him, does he have any personal belongings?"

"Nope, he has no toys and he's been wearing clothes that the other kids can't wear anymore," Marlow drew out.

Liana nodded, "Thank you for your cooperation."

With Marlow's signature and recorded statement at hand, Liana and Yami headed to the courthouse. The judge that handled adoptions was free and able to handle the matter at hand. "Have you decided on a name for your young charge, Yami Mutou?"

"Yugi Hikari Mutou," Yami replied. "My brother would have been honored that I named a son after him."

Liana smiled at this, "Such a big name for one so small."

"He looks like it will fit," the judge replied looking at the sleeping boy in Yami's arms. "Congratulations, son. You have a son. Take care of him."

"I will, Your Honor," Yami replied as he was handed copies of the paperwork.

Yami returned home with a brighter outlook on life. "Grandpa, I've got great news," Yami called out as he and his new son entered the shop.

Solomon looked away from the inventory list, "What is it?"

"I'm a father now," Yami stated. "Grandpa, meet Yugi Hikari Mutou."

"You named him after Yugi," Solomon questioned through tears in his eyes. "You also gave me a great-grandson. You've done more than I had hoped, Yami. But where'd Hikari come from?"

Yami shrugged, "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Yugi, this is your new great-grandpa."

The newly dubbed Yugi looked up at the elderly man, "Hello Grandpa, I'm Yugi!"

Solomon laughed at this, "Such a cute little one! How about we close early and celebrate by going out for dinner?"

* * *

><p>The three went to a restaurant that they had been to a few times. Yugi was having a hard time reaching the table even though Yami had requested a booster seat for him. While Solomon took Yugi to the bathroom, he called a waitress over, "Ma'am, would you happen to have a phonebook or two that my son could use to lift the booster seat a few inches?"<p>

While they were waiting, four people entered the restaurant. They were seated at the table next to them. The waitress returned with a couple of phonebooks, "I hope that these help. By the way, I wanted to tell you that you have the cutest little boy."

"Thank you," Yami replied.

When he said this, four sets of eyes widened. One of the couples turned and saw Yami's familiar hair. She got up and walked over, "Um, hi Yami."

Yami looked up, "Tea, I'm sorry that I haven't called back. I was extremely busy and forgot all about today."

"That's alright, Yami. I know that today was a bad day for you," Tea replied. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation a bit ago. You said you had a son."

Yami nodded and motioned to the restroom, "Grandpa took him in there. I was going to introduce him to you and the others in a day or so."

By this time the other three got up to see what was taking Tea so long. Solomon returned, holding Yugi's tiny hand. "Daddy, all clean for dinner," Yugi stated. "Grandpa helped."

"Good boy, Yugi," Yami laughed. Four heads turned to look at the little boy. "I'd like you to meet Yugi Hikari Mutou," Yami said to his friends. "Yugi these are my friends; Tea, Tristan, Joey, and Joey's sister Serenity."

Recovering from her initial shock, Serenity knelt down in front of the little boy, "Hi there, Yugi. How old are you?"

"Um," Yugi began nervously, "Five."

Tea pulled Yami aside, "Are you crazy? You can't just replace our Yugi like that!"

"Tea, open your eyes," Yami snapped. "I am not replacing _our_ Yugi. Yugi would have been honored that I named a son after him. Please don't ruin this day for me."

Before he could say another word, Yugi's voice called out, "Daddy, dinner's here! Can I have help getting into the special seat?"


	5. Chapter 4

Tea didn't say much else about the old Yugi to Yami. They had lost him five years ago that night and everyone was still missing him. She had to admit that it was nice to see Yami smile for real in the five years since their loss. Though it hurt that he had named the little boy after their friend, she had to admit that the name fit perfectly. Little Yugi had tried to feed Yami some of his chicken nuggets and fries. Yugi had turned dinnertime into a game and Yami couldn't help but laugh at his new son's antics. "Let's see if you can eat you dinner before desert comes," Yami said after Yugi dropped a fry on top of his steak. "If you eat most of your food by then, I'll let you have some ice cream."

Yugi's wide eyes looked away from his next target, which were Yami's green beans, "Cookies n' cream?"

"If they have any," Yami replied. "Just eat your food and we'll see."

Yugi nodded and bit into a nugget. He stopped and started crying. Yami was at a loss as to what to do. Solomon looked across the table and saw that Yugi had lost a tooth. It was in the chicken nugget that Yugi was holding. "Yami, you should take Yugi to the restroom and get him cleaned up. He just lost a baby tooth. I'll take care of things out here," Solomon told his grandson.

Yami nodded and carried Yugi to the bathroom. "Shhh, it's ok Yugi," Yami soothed. "You just lost a baby tooth is all. It'll grow back. It means that you're a big boy now." Yugi's sobs turned to soft hiccups. "I'm here for you, Yugi."

After he got Yugi cleaned up, he carried the boy back out into the dining room. Joey had seen Yami's rush to get a crying Yugi to the restroom and was told by Solomon that Yugi had lost a tooth and that it startled him. Joey stopped Yami and looked at the little boy in his arms, "You know, Yug, they say that the tooth fairy leaves money or small presents under the pillows of good little kids that lose their teeth. All you have to do is leave the tooth under the pillow and she'll do swapsies."

Yugi's eyes widened, "Does she leave games and puzzles and stuff?"

"If they're small enough," Joey replied.

* * *

><p>While Solomon was getting a sleeping Yugi into his car seat, Tea stopped Yami at the cashier, "I was wondering something through dinner. When did you have a son and who is his mother?"<p>

"I'm not going to lie to you, Tea," Yami began. "He doesn't have a mother. He didn't have a family, or a name, until today. I adopted him this morning."

"Do you know what today is," Tea asked.

Yami nodded, "I haven't forgotten. We lost Yugi five years ago today. But today is when I adopted my Yugi. It will have two special meanings for me from now on. It is a day of loss, but also a day of new beginnings."

"I didn't think of it that way," Tea stated. "Do you want to hang out like old times? You can bring Yugi along if you like. I'm sure he'd love to spend time getting to know everyone."

Yami smiled, "I would love that, Tea."

* * *

><p>Yami laid his little boy in Yugi's old bed, grateful that they hadn't gotten rid of it. He had found its guardrails in the attic and installed them to prevent the little boy from falling out of bed. "Sleep tight, Little One," Yami whispered as he turned on the nightlight.<p>

He headed downstairs where Solomon was waiting. "This has been a long day," Yami admitted as he sat down at the kitchen table.

Solomon nodded, "Five years. I still can't believe that he's gone."

"We have a reason to be happy today," Yami said. "I have a son."

"I can't get over how much he looks like Yugi did at his age. He even acts the same way. When my grandson had finger foods, he was always trying to feed his father. He even cried when he lost his first tooth," Solomon began. "I remember him asking if his teeth would grow back."

Yami laughed, "I hope that I can raise my son like you did Yugi."

"You will, my boy, you will. I want to help you raise him as I am his grandpa now," Solomon pointed out.

* * *

><p>Tea arrived at the Mutou house just as Yami set Yugi's place at the table. "I thought you might want to take Yugi shopping for some clothes and toys," She said after Yami let her in.<p>

Before Yami could reply, Yugi came into the room holding a slider puzzle and a sucker, "Look what was under my pillow! Uncle Joey was right, the tooth fairy's real!"

Tea and Yami couldn't help but laugh at his excitement. "What do you want for breakfast, Yugi," Yami asked his son.

"Fruit Loops and chocolate milk, please," Yugi said while climbing into his chair.

Yami had forgotten about how Yugi preferred his cereal and went to pour the milk straight in. "Daddy," Yugi squealed, "Chocolate milk in the cereal!"

This reminded Tea of the Yugi that he was named after. He had always liked chocolate milk in his Fruit Loops and was always reminding Yami about it. Yami fixed the cereal the way that Yugi insisted, and the little boy dug happily into the bowl.

After Yugi had eaten, Yami moved Yugi's car seat to Tea's car and secured Yugi in it. Tea took them to the mall. Yami led Yugi to the children's clothing store. They were in there for two hours trying to find clothes for the little boy. At the end of their time in the store, Yugi ended up with several shirts, three pairs of jeans, three pairs of shorts, some pajamas, a pair of light-up sneakers, and a baseball hat. Tea had picked out a shirt saying 'I'm a Kid, What's Your Excuse'. Yami picked out one that had a Miracle Flipper and Dark Magician printed on it saying 'Daddy's Little Boy'. When Yugi saw this shirt his smile spread. He liked this one.

They headed to the food court and ordered lunch. Yugi had a kid's meal from Subway while Yami and Tea split a foot long sub to save money. Yugi was staring at the store across the walkway, "Daddy, what's that store for?"

Yami looked at where Yugi was pointing, "That's a toy store. They sell toys and games there."

"Like the ones that Grandpa sells," Yugi questioned.

"Not quite, but almost," Yami replied. "After we've finished lunch, I'll take you in there and you can pick out five toys or games."

Yugi's eyes widened, "Thank you Daddy."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm going to go back and edit a few points in the first few chapters.<strong>

**Yami: Why do you need to do that?**

**Because I felt that it wouldn't work with the newest chapters.**

**Yugi: *Reads next couple of chapters* You're right, PhantomBrat. The details wouldn't work for the storyline.**

**Ryou: Please reread the earlier chapters and hopefully you'll see what we mean when she posts again.**

**Until next I post, this is PhantomBrat signing out...  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 5

**Yami: Apparently the hikaris and Mokuba have boggarted with PhantomBrat and have dragged her off on some wild yami chase.**

**Joey: So we've managed to locate this in her laptop and since it was the next chapter for ADoL,ADoNB, we're going to post it for her.**

**Seto: Until the idiots and my brother return, I'm in charge of the laptop.**

**Tea: *smacks Seto with the friendship bat* Mai's in charge and you know it.**

**Mai: Actually it's in the contract that Yami's in charge but Seto uploads the designated files at the appropriate times.**

**Tea: Oops.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Yami kept his promise and took his little boy into the toy shop. Yugi looked around the shop in amazement. "They've got lots of toys, Daddy," Yugi whispered in awe.<p>

Yami chuckled at his statement, "And you can pick out five toys that you want."

Yugi looked around the shop with Yami and Tea following behind him. He stopped at a stack of building blocks and played with the ones on the table. "Daddy, can we get these? I like blocks," Yugi stated as a tower he was working on fell down.

Yami nodded, "If you really like them, I see no problem."

He picked up the box with the most pieces since Yugi would be playing with it quite a bit. Yugi picked out a toy robot with interactive education cards, a large book with puzzles, another block set, and a drawing board that erased with a slide of the bar. When they were busy paying for Yugi's toys, Tea slipped out. She returned from another store while Yugi was playing with his drawing board.

"I've got a surprise for you," she told Yugi. She pulled some rolled up tubes out of the bag that she had. "The bookstore had this on sale and I thought of you. Maybe you can decorate your room with them."

Yugi hugged Tea, "Thank you Aunt Tea."

* * *

><p>Yami let Tea carry a worn out Yugi into the house while he unloaded the car of Yugi's things. After he brought the last of the shopping in, Mokuba arrived. "Big Brother's former lawyer said that you adopted the kid that you found a few days ago, and from the amount of clothes and toys present, I'd say you're going to spoil that kid."<p>

"Did you want to meet my new son," Yami stated.

Mokuba looked at Yami, "I'm here because Seto wanted me to make sure that you didn't waste his time in helping him."

"I assure you that Yugi is safe with me," Yami snapped.

"You named the kid after Yugi," Mokuba scoffed. "Seto's going to flip."

A scream pierced the few second of silence between the men. Yami dropped the bag he was working on and ran up the stairs. Mokuba was not far behind him. Yami tore open a bedroom door and found Yugi crying. "It's ok, Yugi, Daddy's here," Yami soothed.

"It was scary Daddy," Yugi hiccupped. "I was floating somewhere and something was eating my leg. I saw you and him there." Yugi pointed at Mokuba.

Yami released Yugi and gave Mokuba his first real look at the boy that Yami adopted. He was dumbfounded. This kid looked like Yugi had before his death. Yugi stared at Mokuba, "Hi there, I'm Yugi. I'm five."

"Yugi this is Mokuba," Yami informed the boy. "Mokuba, this is Yugi Hikari Mutou."

"Hello there, Yugi," Mokuba stated before turning to Yami. "We need to talk."

Yami gave Yugi his blocks knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep after his nightmare. He and Mokuba went to the kitchen.

"There is no way that that boy would be able to see something like that," Mokuba stated. "All the cameras were unable to capture any image of your duel with Marik during the Battle City finals."

Yami looked through the doorway at his son before replying, "Well, I didn't tell him anything about my life with his namesake. I think we should call Ishizu."

"Before you call her, I wasn't going to tell you this," Mokuba started. "Both Ryou and Malik had died before Yugi five years ago. I found out after running into Odion. He said that Bakura and Marik were in a deep depression and had to be watched constantly, or checked on regularly in Bakura's case. I was told that they died the same way Yugi did, three days before their birthdays. He said that just recently they came across two boys that looked like Ryou and Malik. Neither boy had names when Bakura and Marik felt that they had to adopt them."

Yami sighed, "So I'm not the only one that lost their hikari that year and then felt the need to adopt a younger version of them. That's a relief. So did Odion tell you their names?"

"Bakura's named his new son Ryou Hikari Akefia and Marik named his Malik Hikari Ishtar," Mokuba replied.

Yami coughed in surprise, "So we gave them the same middle names? I guess that was bound to happen if we missed our lights that much."

"There's more. Bakura and Marik moved here just a few weeks ago. They wanted to be closer to where things were somewhat familiar," he admitted. "They know about your loss and might be visiting soon. I'd better get going before Seto calls."

"Thank you for the heads up and for stopping by," Yami said as he led Mokuba to the door.

Mokuba smiled as he got into the car, "No problem."

Yami watched as the younger Kaiba brother drove away. He decided that it was bedtime for a certain five-year-old. "Yugi, are you…," Yami stopped mid-sentence.

Yugi was sleeping on the rug surrounded by towers and walls built out of his blocks. He looked so angelic that he couldn't bear to wake him. Solomon entered the room and handed Yami a camera, "You might want to take a picture as he'll grow up in the blink of an eye."

Yami nodded and took a few pictures of his little boy. He handed the camera back, "I think I'll sleep down here for the night, Grandpa," Yami stated. "I haven't the heart to wake him."

Solomon nodded as he set the camera where Yami could find it later, "Get a good night's rest. I'll see you two in the morning."

Yami yawned, "'Night Grandpa. Thank you for supporting my choice."

"You're welcome," Solomon replied as he turned out the lights.


	7. Chapter 6

**Yugi: Nothing here.**

**So how many stories do you think we'll end up going through?**

**Malik: Not sure, why?**

**Because I'm working on something hilarious for YinYang Insanity.**

**Mokuba: So that's why you were laughing so hard moments ago.**

**Yuppers!**

**Ryou: Darn! Kuriboh just boggarted the map.**

**Actually, I think that was Sangan. He's Kuriboh's evil cousin.**

**Yugi: PhantomBrat's right. They do look almost alike from the back. **

**Malik: Well this story's a bust.**

**Mokuba: Want to help PhantomBrat with YinYang Insanity and see if her yami's hiding there?**

**Ryou: Alright.**

**Yugi: Sure!**

**Malik: Awesome! I get to read the insanity before anyone else does!**

**Sounds good to me.**

* * *

><p>Yugi woke up and looked around the room while his dad was sleeping. He saw a picture and wanted to see who it was. But it was up so high and not easy to get to. He was found staring at the frame when Yami finally woke up.<p>

"Daddy, what's that," Yugi asked pointing at the frame.

Yami followed his gaze and saw his light's picture. "He was a dear friend of mine. We were like brothers and I was adopted and became his brother after a while. His name was Yugi."

"Just like me," Yugi giggled. "Where is he?"

Yami fought back the tears that were threatening to form, "He's gone, Yugi. He had to leave a long time ago."

He felt Yugi's little hands on his knee, "It's ok to cry Daddy. I'm right here."

Before Yami could collect himself the doorbell rang. He considered ignoring it when a familiar and annoying voice spoke up. "We know you're there Pharaoh, so open up!"

Yami groaned and scooped Yugi up and turned on the TV before depositing him on the couch. "Alright already, just lay off the doorbell!" He opened the door and saw the Thief and the Psycho, "What brings you here," Yami asked them.

Bakura spoke, "We wanted to see how you and the runt are."

"He's been dead for five years," Yami snapped as his eyes narrowed. "Why come now?"

"If your light is anything like ours then he's bound to come back into your life any day now," Marik pointed out. "Ours did, but they're little kids."

"Daddy, the man on the TV said a bad word," Yugi's voice said from behind him. "His mommy should know."

Bakura shoved Yami aside and looked into the kitchen. "Hello there Little One, what's your name," Bakura asked, scaring the boy.

Yugi ran for Yami's side, "He's scary Daddy. Make him go away like you did the bad dream!" Yugi had also seen Marik, who was standing beside Bakura.

"You're safe Yugi," Yami cooed to the hysteric boy. "Bakura and Marik aren't going to hurt you. If they do, I'll take care of them."

Bakura barked out a laugh, "So your light died too? Well, he looks sickeningly adorable. What did you name him?"

"Yugi Hikari Mutou," Yami replied with a clipped tone.

Marik's and Bakura's eyes widened upon hearing the little boy's name. Marik found his voice first, "We gave our lights the same middle names."

"Speaking of them, where are they," Yami questioned the former spirits.

Bakura paled and ran towards the car. He returned with two little boys that looked like him and Marik. "Hiya, I'm Malik," Marik's copy stated seeing Yami. "He's Ryou. We're five." Malik spotted Yugi trying to hide behind Yami's leg, "We no bite…much."

Ryou looked at Yugi, "Hewo."

That was enough to coax Yugi out from behind Yami's leg. "H-h-hi there, I-i-i-I'm Yugi."

Yami invited the four inside, "Yugi why don't you show Ryou and Malik to your play area and show them your toys."

Yugi nodded and led the two to his corner of the living room.

Marik sat at the table and looked at Yami, "I didn't want to say this in front of the kids but Ishizu said that she found the reason our lights died the way they did. The Gods came to her in a dream a while back and said that Zorc was the one responsible for their demise. Ra told her that they would try to see what they could do to return them to us, but they could only do so much since Zorc took their souls captive."

"I don't know how to put this, but I think Yugi remembers some of what we went through," Yami said after Marik paused. "He's had a nightmare of the Battle City finals and our Duel. He described the part where the Shadows were eating him away."

"Ryou had a similar incident, but his was of the MonsterWorld incident," Bakura admitted.

Marik shook his head, "Malik saw the same thing as Yugi, but from our side of the field. He wouldn't stop shaking after he woke up."

They heard a crash in the living room and bell-like giggles coming from Yugi's play area. Yami was still concerned about his son and ran to check on him. Yugi was building towers of blocks and laughing when they collapsed. He, Ryou, and Malik were trying to build taller towers each time they fell down. "Daddy got me a puzzle book. Wanna play with it," Yugi asked his new friends.

Ryou and Malik nodded as Yugi tugged the oversized book out of his toy bin. He opened it to a random page and the three boys began prying the pieces out of the book. Yami headed back to the kitchen. "Still the same overprotective Pharaoh," Bakura taunted. "Can't stand the thought of your little light getting hurt? Neither can we now that they're back."

"So how did you find Ryou and Malik," Yami asked as he sat down.

Bakura shrugged, "I got bored and took a walk. I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going and found myself in front of the local orphanage. I saw Ryou sitting apart from the other kids, watching them play. He was filthy, but I knew that it was him since I could feel his presence drawing me like before. I walked in and filled out the forms. I walked out with him and went through all the legal stuff just to make him mine."

"Malik was living in the streets when Ishizu and I found him," Marik admitted. "I was just minding my own business when this little thief stole my false wallet. I chased him into a dead-end alley and got my wallet back. But the kid was so filthy and nothing but skin and bones. I took him home and got him washed and fed. According to Ishizu, he looked like Malik did at four or five."

Bakura looked at Yami, "So how did you find your hikari?"

"He nearly drowned when I found him. I brought him here and cleaned him up before I realized that he looked like Yugi," Yami admitted. "I called Seto for help since he knows the loopholes in the legal system and was able to adopt him the next day."

They talked for a while before realizing that they hadn't heard a sound from the boys. Bakura got up to check on them. He saw that the three boys had built a low wall with Yugi's blocks and had pulled the cushions of the couch. They had fallen asleep in the middle of their fort using the cushions as makeshift mattresses. Marik and Yami had followed him and saw the boys napping. Yami grabbed the camera from its hiding place and took a few pictures. "Make sure I get a copy of that," Bakura whispered. Marik nodded in agreement.

Yami smirked, "I will. I'm going to get this enlarged and frame it for Grandpa."

* * *

><p>Yugi woke up at the same time as his new friends and they took the wall of blocks down. Malik and Ryou ran over to their 'dads' and climbed into their laps. Yugi copied them and climbed onto Yami's lap. Yami looked down at his hikari reborn, "Did you have a nice nap?"<p>

Yugi nodded, "No bad dreams."

Ryou and Malik nodded in agreement, causing Yami to wonder. "Marik, Bakura, how well do your boys sleep," he asked.

"If Ryou doesn't have a wall of stuffed animals around him, he has nightmares," Bakura stated. "I tried to move him from the center of the circle and he struggles in his sleep until I put him back."

Marik nodded, "Malik can't sleep unless he's got anything he can grab around him like a barrier. Ishizu noticed it and told me to leave it be."

Yami thought back to the other day when Tea had carried him to his room after their long day of shopping. He had only been asleep for half an hour after she left before he woke up screaming. But whenever he had a ring or barrier around him he slept a bit better. "Marik, is Ishizu busy?"

* * *

><p><strong>Yami: I thought you said that they were here.<strong>

**Marik: I said 'I thought I heard them here'.**

**Bakura: You're going deaf in your old age, Pharaoh.**

**Yami: You call me old in any way, shape, or form, and I'll make you regret it.**

**Bakura: Whatever.**

**Marik: Aren't you both, like, the same age? So if Bakura calls you 'old' then isn't he also calling himself 'old'?**

**Bakura: Stuff it psycho.**

**Marik: Make me, loser.**

**Yami: Both of you SHUT YOUR TRAPS! You're giving me a migraine.**

**Seto: I'll set my dragons on them for you for a price.**

**Yami: Just upload the next chapter to 'Broken' and I'll not tell PhantomBrat of your insulting her writing.**

**Marik: Oooooh, Seto insulted PhantomBrat's writing. That's a punishable offense.**

**Bakura: You don't ever insult PhantomBrat's stories when you're a part of them.**

**Seto: I merely pointed out that she's twisted for making me out to be Yugi's cousin in 'Broken'. I applaud her creativeness.**

**Yami: *smirks* Did you know that she might actually find a way to take over your company. _Legally._**

**Seto: NEVER! She wouldn't be able to handle it.**

**Yami: Actually, she's more likely to follow you with a clipboard and point out what you're doing wrong as an employer.**

**Seto: XX**

**Marik: OMR! YOU KILLED KAIBA!**

**Bakura: FINALLY! Welcome to the Dark Side, oh Great and Powerful Pharaoh.**

**Yami: He just fainted is all. And NO I won't eat those questionable looking cookies. I don't know where they've been and they're oatmeal raisin cookies!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Yugi: I think I just heard Marik's loud shouts from the last upload.**

**Me too.**

**Mokuba: Hey, wait up! I want to go too.**

**Okay.**

**Yugi: So what happens here?**

**If I told you, then our faithful readers won't want to read this chapter.**

**Yugi: I forgot about that.**

* * *

><p>"No, why," Marik asked.<p>

Yami picked Yugi up, "We need to see her."

"She's at the museum right now," Bakura pointed out. "Grab the kid's car seat and let's go."

Yami handed Yugi over to Marik and grabbed Yugi's car seat from the mudroom. Bakura snatched it from him and wedged it between Ryou's and Malik's own, setting it up for the small boy. "Get them secured, and sit in the back," he told Marik.

Marik pouted, "But I wanted shotgun."

"The Pharaoh's with us, he gets shotgun," Bakura snapped. "Just get in and make sure the kids are buckled in. I don't want another ticket because you 'forgot' to secure the boys."

Yugi looked up at Bakura with big eyes, "Why you calling Daddy par-a?"

"It's a, uh," Bakura faltered, knowing that he slipped up.

Yami stepped in, "It's a grown-up thing, Yugi. I'll tell you when you're older."

Yugi nodded and crushed his Kuriboh plushy against his chest, "Ok."

* * *

><p>After getting everyone situated, Bakura started the van and headed to the Domino Museum. Ishizu greeted them at the door, "Welcome." She noticed the small boy grasping Yami's hand. She knelt down, "Hello young one."<p>

He looked up at Yami nervously. Yami nodded with a faint smile. "Hi lady. I'm…" the boy hesitated, momentarily forgetting his name.

Yami picked him up, "You can do this. Tell Ishizu your name."

"Yugi," he stated proudly after a few more seconds. "I'm five."

She was not surprised as the others had gone through the same thing. She had had a feeling that if Ryou and Malik had died the same way as the other, then Yugi would be at risk as well. She held her hands out as Yami handed Yugi to her, "Hello, Yugi."

"Do you know my Daddy," Yugi asked her innocently.

Ishizu smiled at his question, "Yes I do, Yugi. I've known your dad for some time now."

Yugi hugged her, "You're nice."

She handed Yugi back to Yami, "I believe that you have a few questions for me. Please follow me to a quieter room."

She led the men to a back room. After they handed the boys a few toys, they sat at the table. Yami spoke first, "Is there anything that you can tell us about our hikaris?"

"There are a few things that I have been told of by the Gods in my visions," she replied.

"Can you explain the barriers that the boys build," Yami began. "And why they tend to sleep better with them?"

Ishizu looked over at the three five-year-olds, "They are building a physical barrier as their mental ones are very weak due to Zorc's influence. When he ended their previous lives so violently, he shattered their mental defenses. Even with the physical 'barriers' they may still have nightmares, though not likely as intense."

"How is it that they've returned in this way," Yami asked.

"The Gods were angry that such innocent beings were destroyed in such a harsh manner," Ishizu began. "They recreated them and gave them a new life."

Bakura interrupted, "What could they have used? I had Ryou cremated. There was nothing left but ashes. And I was there when it was decided that Malik be put to rest the same way. What about your runt, Pharaoh?"

"Cremated as well," Yami sighed. "Yugi never wanted to be buried."

"Don't you see? The Gods used their ashes to give them their original appearance and personalities," Ishizu pointed out.

Marik looked over at his young light, "Like the phoenix?" He had taken up reading all of Malik's books on mythology that he had acquired after Yami found his name and the Tomb-keepers were released from their duties.

She nodded, "They felt that this was the only way to restore the balance that was nearly destroyed. Zorc captured their souls, but the Gods were able to save a part of them from his grasp. These fragments of their individual souls were used to bring them back, though partially."

Marik stood up, knocking his chair back and startling the three boys. "I say we bust down Zorc's door and steal our light's souls back! Nobody steals from Marik and kills his hikari and gets away with it!"

His rant upset one of the boys and as proof one of them began crying. Yami saw that it was Yugi who was crying. He glared at Marik as he collected Yugi into his arms, 'Shhh, it's going to be ok, Yugi. Hush, little one. I'm right here."

While Yami was soothing Yugi, Ryou ran to Bakura and hugged his waist, "Daddy, Uncle Marik scared Yugi. Uncle Marik scary."

Malik hid behind Ishizu, "Daddy loud, Aunt 'Izu. He scared my fwiends."

Marik sat down looking ashamed for his outburst.

Yugi's sobs quieted down into almost silent hiccups before stopping all together. Yami looked at the bundle in his arms and noticed that Yugi had fallen asleep. Ishizu noticed the look of concern on his face, "He's just tired. Ryou and Malik sleep after crying as well. For some reason, extreme stress or emotion wears them out faster than if they were playing rough."

Yami nodded and held his small son in his arms. "I am not used to this yet," Yami admitted. "He has only been in my life for less than a week and I have to ask Grandpa for advice or turn to parenting books."

"Bakura and Marik had to do the same thing. Only in their cases, they had to go through a lot of changes," Ishizu pointed out.

Bakura huffed, "I don't want Ryou to turn out like me. Besides, one thief in the family is enough."

"Daddy, what's a thief," Ryou asked him.

Yami laughed, "You'd better tell him before your past gets out."

"Ryou, a thief is someone that takes things without permission," Bakura stated. "I don't want you to do that."

Ryou nodded, "Ok. Can I have a cookie?"

"I want chocolate," Malik called out from Ishizu's lap.

* * *

><p>The group headed back to Yami's place and dropped Yami and Yugi off. Bakura held Yugi while Yami opened the door. "I never could have imagined that you would let me anywhere near your hikari," Bakura stated as he handed the sleeping boy to him.<p>

Yami smirked, "I never would have pegged you for the fatherly type either. But things change."

"I'd say. I guess losing Ryou made me appreciate things more and I really wanted him back. I missed him so much," Bakura admitted. "Did I tell you that he died just a few days before his birthday? Malik too."

Yami stopped in his tracks, "The same thing happened to Yugi. We were going to throw him a surprise party but had to plan for his funeral instead."

"Depressing to know that our hikari's are alike in more ways than one," Bakura sighed as a horn went off.

Yami nodded in agreement, "Yeah." The horn went off again. "I'd better get Yugi inside and start on dinner.

The car horn blared in the background. Bakura was irritated, "IF YOU DON'T LAY OFF THE HORN, I'M MAKING YOU WALK HOME!"

Yugi whimpered in his sleep. "Sorry about that," Bakura said, looking at the small boy in Yami's arms. "Marik thinks it's funny to honk the horn when I'm taking my time getting back to the car."

Yami sighed, "Just think a few years ago, we were sworn enemies…"

"Yeah, and now we're fathers to our own Lights," Bakura amended. "I take it that we have an unconditional truce?"

Yami chuckled at his comment, "I suppose so. We have to be the ones to set an example to our little ones."

Bakura left Yami at the door and headed back to his van. He still had a psychotic roommate to deal with.

* * *

><p><strong>Yugi: So no yami here.<strong>

**Malik: This was a bust.**

**Ryou: There's still other stories and a few that haven't been posted as of yet to search.**

**So let's get going!**

**Mokuba: Until next time…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Oops again... Another that I haven't updated in a year. Please forgive me.**

LINE  
>Yugi woke up as Yami was pulling dinner from the oven. He climbed off the couch and toddled towards the kitchen. "Whatsa doin' Daddy," he asked still half out of it.<p>

Yami smiled at his little boy, "Just getting dinner out of the stove."

Yugi was confused, "Did the stove try to eat dinner?"

Yugi still had a lot to learn about things. When he was old enough to eat solid foods, the family that he was with gave him sandwiches made from leftovers for lunch and dinner. Any other time, he was given cereals to eat.

"I used the stove to cook dinner, Yugi," Yami explained. "I figured that you try new foods to see what you like."

"No more sam-itches," Yugi asked.

Yami laughed at Yugi's response, "No, little one. No more sandwiches unless we're out somewhere."

Solomon entered the kitchen, "Now where's my great-grandson? I haven't seen him all day."

Yugi turned around and saw him, "GRANDPA!" He ran towards the elderly man and hugged his leg, "I met Daddy's fwiend. She's pretty."

"I took Yugi to the museum so that I could speak with Ishizu," Yami explained. "Bakura and Marik were there."

While the two were talking, Yugi headed to where his booster seat was stored. He couldn't find it and really didn't want to use phonebooks again. The little boy went over to the adults. Yugi tugged on Yami's jeans, "Where my seat, Daddy?"

Just as Yugi said this, the doorbell rang. Solomon went to answer it with Yugi in tow. Bakura was standing there with a car-seat, "I believe that this would be useful to have if you plan on riding with someone else."

Yami walked up to the door and took the safety-seat from him, "Thank you for bringing it back."

Yugi wasn't paying attention to the adults. While they were talking at the back door, he had pulled Ryou inside and was playing under the kitchen table with some Duel Monsters pushies. Deciding that he wanted to make his dragon fly, Yugi climbed onto a chair. He lost his balance and fell, landing on his arm. Before he could register anything, Ryou started screaming, "DADDY! HURT!"

The three adults looked over to where the boys were and Solomon noticed Ryou for the first time. Before anyone could say a word, Yugi started wailing. Bakura took the car seat back out and returned a few moments later, "Let's go. Get him to the van and we'll go to the ER. Ryou, go and get in your seat."

Solomon put dinner in the fridge as Yami went to secure Yugi in Bakura's van. A few minutes later, three adults and two little boys were headed to the emergency room.

LINE

Yugi had fallen asleep on the way to the hospital, causing Solomon concern for the small boy. "Ishizu warned me that emotional distress causes them to tire quickly," Yami informed him as he undid the restraints.

After a few hours, Yami left the building with Yugi in his arms. The small boy was sleeping soundly and was now wearing a blue cast on his left arm. Yami placed the sleeping boy in his car seat and adjusted the straps, securing him in place. When looked up he was met with sleepy amethyst eyes, "Daddy, I'm hungry."

"There's a cooler with some stickers on it," Bakura stated. "There should be some cheese sticks or something in there, unless Marik raided it."

Yami found the cooler and pulled out a bag of apple slices. He handed a few to Yugi and some to Ryou who held his little hands out for some. "Thank you," Ryou whispered.

They got back to the house at about 10:30. Yugi and Ryou had both fallen asleep in their car seats along the way. Solomon offered the former spirit of the Ring a spot for the night but was politely turned down. Yami handed Yugi to Solomon, who took him to bed. "Do you mind holding onto Yugi's car seat? I have a feeling that the others will have gotten him one for their cars just so that I don't have to mess with setting it up all the time," Yami stated.

Bakura shrugged, "Eh, what's one more kiddie-seat? Sure, besides I have a feeling that we'll be seeing a lot more of each other since our hikaris are drawn to each other. Malik and Ryou can't stand being alone and they want to play with Yugi again."

Bakura left and Yami went back inside to check on Yugi before heading to bed himself. The small boy was sleeping amidst stuffed Duel Monsters and pillows that Solomon had given him for his play area. Yami promised that his Yugi would never have to deal with anything alone if he could help it. Just before he closed the door, Yami thought he saw something moving near Yugi's bed. He turned on the light and saw a brown-colored ball of fluff. "Kuriboh," Yami hissed in a low whisper, "I want you to let him sleep. Go back to the Shadow Realm until he knows about you and the others."

"Kreee?"

"Alright, you can alert me if something happens in here," he amended. "Just don't let him see you."

"Kuri."

Yami left Kuriboh to watch over Yugi for the night while he headed across the hall to his own room.

LINE

**Yugi: I got hurt!?**

**Yami: Why is Kuriboh out of the Shadow Realm?**

**He wanted to protect Yugi for you.**

**Yugi: Kuriboh's so sweet. Can I keep him Yami, can I?**

**Yami: Oh alright...**


End file.
